bow

[ bou ]

/ baʊ /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bow ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to bend the knee or body or incline the head, as in reverence, submission, salutation, recognition, or acknowledgment.

to yield; submit: to bow to the inevitable.

to bend or curve downward; stoop: the pines bowed low.

verb (used with object)

to bend or incline (the knee, body, or head) in worship, submission, respect, civility, agreement, etc.: He bowed his head to the crowd.

to cause to submit; subdue; crush.

to cause to stoop or incline: Age had bowed his head.

to express by a bow: to bow one's thanks.

to usher (someone) with a bow (usually followed by in, out, etc.): They were bowed in by the footman.

to cause to bend; make curved or crooked.

noun

an inclination of the head or body in salutation, assent, thanks, reverence, respect, submission, etc.

Verb Phrases

bow out, to resign a position or withdraw from a job, competition, obligation, etc.: He bowed out after two terms as governor.

Nearby words

bovine somatotrophin, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, bovril, bovver, bovver boots, bow, bow and scrape, bow back, bow bells, bow collector, bow compass

Idioms

bow and scrape, to be excessively polite or deferential.

make one's bow, to appear publicly for the first time, as a performer, politician, etc.: The young pianist made her bow last night to an appreciative audience.

take a bow, to step forward or stand up in order to receive recognition, applause, etc.: The conductor had the soloists take a bow.

Origin of bow

before 900; Middle English bowen (v.), Old English būgan; cognate with Dutch buigen; akin to German biegen, Gothic biugan, Old Norse buga, etc.

SYNONYMS FOR bow

2 surrender, accede, defer, acquiesce, comply, capitulate.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bow ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

bowed·ness, nounbow·ing·ly, adverb

Can be confused

bough bow

Synonym study

1. See bend¹.

Definition for bow (2 of 4)

bow

[ boh ]

/ boʊ /

noun

a flexible strip of wood or other material, bent by a string stretched between its ends, for shooting arrows: He drew the bow and sent the arrow to its target.

an instrument resembling this, used for various purposes, as rotating a drill or spindle, or loosening entangled or matted fibers.

a bend or curve.

Also called bowknot. a looped knot composed of two or more loops and two ends, as for tying together the ends of a ribbon or string.

any separate piece of looped, knotted, or shaped gathering of ribbon, cloth, paper, etc., used as a decoration, as on a package, dress, or the like.

a long rod, originally curved but now nearly straight, with horsehairs stretched from one end to the other, used for playing on a musical instrument of the violin and viol families.

a single movement of such a device over the strings of a violin, viol, or the like.

bow tie.

something curved or arc-shaped.

a saddlebow.

an archer; bowman: He is the best bow in the county.

temple²(def 3).

a U-shaped piece for placing under an animal's neck to hold a yoke.

Building Trades. a flexible rod used for laying out large curves.

the part of a key grasped by the fingers.

the loop on the stem of a watch by which the watch is attached to a chain or the like.

a rainbow.

adjective

curved outward at the center; bent: bow legs.

verb (used with or without object)

to bend into the form of a bow; curve.

Music. to perform by means of a bow upon a stringed instrument.

Textiles Obsolete. to loosen by passing a vibrating bow among entangled fibers.

Origin of bow

before 1000; Middle English bowe (noun), Old English boga; cognate with Dutch boog, German Bogen, Old Norse bogi; akin to bow¹

Related forms

bowed·ness, nounbow·less, adjectivebow·like, adjective

Can be confused

bode bowed

Definition for bow (3 of 4)

bow

[ bou ]

/ baʊ /

noun

Nautical, Aeronautics.

the forward end of a vessel or airship.
either side of this forward end, especially with reference to the direction of a distant object: a mooring two points off the port bow.

bows, Nautical. the exterior of the forward end of a vessel, especially one in which the hull slopes back on both sides of the stem.

the foremost oar in rowing a boat.

Also called bowman, bow oar. the person who pulls that oar.

adjective

of or relating to the bow of a ship.

Origin of bow

1620–30; < Low German boog (noun) or Dutch boeg or Danish bov; see bough

Definition for bow (4 of 4)

Bow

[ boh ]

/ boʊ /

noun

Clara,1905–65, U.S. film actress: known as the “It Girl.”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bow

Creepy thing to wrap up in festive paper and a bow and give to a newborn baby, yeah?
Keep Christmas Commercialized!|P. J. O’Rourke|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The way it was executed was maybe not satisfying to people, and it was in no way tied up in a bow.
Michael C. Hall on Going Drag for ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ and Exorcising ‘Dexter’|Marlow Stern|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Well, the only way Dexter could have been tied up in a bow was if the last episode would have been the last episode of Season 4.
Michael C. Hall on Going Drag for ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ and Exorcising ‘Dexter’|Marlow Stern|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bop had produced self-conscious artists who refused to bow to conventional assumptions of what was entertaining.
How Rock and Roll Killed Jim Crow|Dennis McNally|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Unlike a normal ship, the bow slopes upward from the water up to the deck.
Can the Navy's $12 Billion Stealth Destroyer Stay Afloat?|Dave Majumdar|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The willows,” he says, “bow themselves to every wind, out of shame for their unfruitfulness.
Rubiyt of Omar Khayym and Salmn and Absl|Omar Khayym and Ralph Waldo Emerson
It relieved him to see the two ladies seated opposite each other in the bow window, and to hear something like a laugh in the air.
The Marriage of Elinor|Margaret Oliphant
It helped her to bow to the commands of this man when he bade her marry him, and she loved him!
The House of the Misty Star|Fannie Caldwell Macaulay
M. de Cussy returned the bow and accepted a seat on the locker under the stem windows.
Captain Blood|Rafael Sabatini
It has been said that the buckler, the bow, and the spear, must continue the arms of poetry.
The Lusiad|Lus de Cames

British Dictionary definitions for bow (1 of 4)

bow

/ (baʊ) /

verb

to lower (one's head) or bend (one's knee or body) as a sign of respect, greeting, assent, or shame

to bend or cause to bend; incline downwards

(intr ; usually foll by to or before) to comply or acceptbow to the inevitable

(tr ; foll by in, out, to etc) to usher (someone) into or out of a place with bows and deferencethe manager bowed us to our car

(tr; usually foll by down) to bring (a person, nation, etc) to a state of submission

bow and scrape to behave in an excessively deferential or obsequious way

noun

a lowering or inclination of the head or body as a mark of respect, greeting, or assent

take a bow to acknowledge or receive applause or praise

Word Origin for bow

Old English būgan, related to Old Norse bjūgr bent, Old High German biogan to bend, Dutch buigen

British Dictionary definitions for bow (2 of 4)

bow

/ (bəʊ) /

noun

a weapon for shooting arrows, consisting of an arch of flexible wood, plastic, metal, etc bent by a string (bowstring) fastened at each endSee also crossbow

a long slightly curved stick across which are stretched strands of horsehair, used for playing the strings of a violin, viola, cello, or related instrument
a stroke with such a stick

a decorative interlacing of ribbon or other fabrics, usually having two loops and two loose ends
the knot forming such an interlacing; bowknot

something that is curved, bent, or arched
(in combination)rainbow; oxbow; saddlebow

a person who uses a bow and arrow; archer

a frame of a pair of spectacles
a sidepiece of the frame of a pair of spectacles that curls round behind the ear

a metal ring forming the handle of a pair of scissors or of a large old-fashioned key

architect part of a building curved in the form of a bowSee also bow window

verb

to form or cause to form a curve or curves

to make strokes of a bow across (violin strings)

Word Origin for bow

Old English boga arch, bow; related to Old Norse bogi a bow, Old High German bogo, Old Irish bocc, and bow 1

British Dictionary definitions for bow (3 of 4)

bow

/ (baʊ) /

noun

mainly nautical

(often plural) the forward end or part of a vessel
(as modifier)the bow mooring line

rowing short for bowman 2

on the port bow nautical within 45 degrees to the port of straight ahead

on the starboard bow nautical within 45 degrees to the starboard of straight ahead

a shot across someone's bows informal a warning

Word Origin for bow

C15: probably from Low German boog; related to Dutch boeg, Danish bov ship's bow, shoulder; see bough

British Dictionary definitions for bow (4 of 4)

Bow

/ (bəʊ) /

noun

Clara, known as the It Girl . 1905–65, US film actress, noted for her vivacity and sex appeal

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with bow

bow

In addition to the idioms beginning with bow

bow and scrape
bowl of cherries, life is just a
bowl over
bow out

also see:

take a bow
two strings to one's bow